Control means for coffee-making apparatus



Filed Aug; 11. 19 49 y 1 a. v. CALABRESE 54524 8 comoL mums FOR (JOFFEE-MAKIiJGijAPPKRAI'US v a sn ets-sheez'l INVENTOR. George V Calabrese,

m 2 km %a 4 t 0 mm a mm a o s I: 2 m n v h S e G v CALABRESE CONTROL MEANS FOR COFFEE-MAKING APPARATUS 7 Filed Aug. 11, 1949 Geo July 7, 1953 making coffee in like manner...

Patented July 7, 19 53 oon'rnon MEANSFOR courier:svmmsici 1 APPARATUS George V; oalabrese, Chicago, lll assigncr to Lumeni'te Electronic Company,

corporation of Illinois a Application August 11, 1949., Serial No. 1.0936];

2 Claims.

invention. relates'to improvements in con troll means for coffee; making apparatus.

In restaurants and. other eating places coffee making urns frequentlyare employed for making.

7 cofiee in relatively large. quantities; In many such installations. the apparatus consists of two Water is heated to 212 F. orthe like'and. thereafter is transferred to one. of the urns within which it, drips. into a. strainer or filter holding, the ground coffee. When the tank has again been replenished with water and. the latter heated to the proper temperature, it may be directed, when required, into thesecond ur'iiffor Generally such apparatus is provided withhand operable valves in the connecting water pipes whereby an attendant can. cause the water from the tank to flow to the. desired urnj Such manual control requires that the flow of water into an urn be shut off atithe proper time toavoid floodingor overflowing of an urn with resultant loss of some of the coffee brew. Considerable time. is thus required in checking the temperature of the water in the heating tank" and operating" the manual valve or valves} in operating; the appa-- urns and a hot water tank in the latter of which.

Chicago, 111., 8-

Home with the improved control apparatus, overfl-cwingof the urns is avoided'thewater tank is automatically replenished with water to beheated for use in making-a succeeding batchof,

coffee, transferring water from the tank to an urn before the water in the tank has reached a predetermined temperature is prevented, andthe usual close attention of an attendant in the-opening andclosing of valves inpreparina batchesof coffee in the conventional urn type apparatus is not required.

Other objects of co-o'rdinated circuits for effecting control or cot?- iee making apparatus Of the type mentioned and r to rovide improved electrodes which are ineluded in the circuits for initiating the.- perform anceof certain control functions when. water a tank or urn reaches a' predetermined level.

While the apparatus shown in the drawings fol illustrativepurposes comprisesa-W'at'if heating tame and two urns in: which batches of coffee 7 are brewed alternatelygi t will be apparent that laws in the" usual way. Generally a waitress who has other duties to perform attends to the operation of the apparatus. In accordance: with the present invention the operation of the water control valves is controlled electronically in response to; varyingconditions whereby' hot water from the tank will be directed selectivelyin one urn or the other and the flow of waterwill'be shut off when the liquid in the urn reaches apredetermined level; thereby avoiding" overfiowing". Likewise, afterwater has been. transferred. from the; tank to: an. urn as above stated. the water intake? valve. of the tank". will be automatii-= call-yr opened to admitwater the tanlc to. a; se-- lected level for heating preparatory tortransfien to;- a second. urn. The; improved. ccrtr'ol circuitprovided. with a.- thermostaticl switch. which precludes. the transfer of. water from: the tanlc to um except when: the water is; ataa predetercofiee; brewing,i temperature.

. The; principal object of. therinvention. is to: prowide an electrical. control circuit for" cofiee: brew ing operations which: is. senil -automatic: in: on oration; in 1111341 2311. operator is required; only to press a button or operate; a switch for initiating:

the: functioning; of... the appanatus while; thecon circuit-tautomatical-ly shuts; oft the; now oi water into. an um on into the tank. when the water therein reaches a. predetermined level.

the principles of" the improvements may be (1131. li'zed in controlling: the functioning of: brewing or like: apparatus comprising a tank and; a single 7 urn onmore-thantwd urns In. the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a front elevation oi; coffee brewing apparatus of atype adapted tobecontrolled. by

the present-improvements.

Fig. 2: is a rear elevational view of; the appara-- tus shown in Fig. 1

Fig. 3: is..an end elevational view of the appa- As. shown. in Fig. 2-,, each urn is-provided with an .inner. brew holdingvessel l3,usually ofglassv and over.- the. upper open end of which. cloth filter.

bags. l4. are adapted. to bev positioned and. to. hold.

a selected quantity of. ground. coffieet In brewing cofliee; in one. (if. the. urns... hot water. from. theis delivered. through. a pipe. 15' to. a. spi: a'.y'

head. [6 above the respective vessel. whence it; is sprayed. or drips. upon the: ground cofiee and;

passes. through the same. forming the. coffee brew and. collects within. the vessel. Pressure gener 5i;- ated in the tank: l2" by the boiling. of the water the invention are to" provide displaces the water in the tank to the selected vessel when a control valve has been opened. A valve controlling the flow of water into the tank through pipe I! is closed except during replenishment of the tank.

As shown in Fig. 2 the pipes-i5 are provided with control valves !8 that are self-closing and are opened by solenoids 59 upon energization of the latter. A self-closing valve 28 of pipe ll likewise is adapted to be opened by a solenoid 2! for controlling flow of water into thetank It.

The urns are provided with liquid level gauge glasses 22 connected with the respective brew containing vessels and serve to visually indicate the.

level of the brew within the respective vessels.

of a light that indicates initiation of a brewing operation will not be energized in the instance mentioned and the operator will know, by failure of the signal to appear, that the temperature of the water in the tank is too low for brewing purposes. When the starterbutton is pressed after the water in the'tank has reached the prescribed temperature, the water from the tank will be forced into the L urn, and when the level of the brew in the urn contacts the high level electrode in 'the'urn the flow of water will be halted and the flow of water into the tank will begin for res- Each gauge glass structure is provided with an electrode 23 positioned in a fitting of the upper portion of the gauge, an end of each electrode be ing exposed to contact with liquid in the gauge as theliquid rises to'a given level predetermined by 1 form the opening functions of the valves of the tank and urns that heretofore have been done by an attendant of the usual manually controlled brewing apparatus. Assume for instance that the tank has been filled with water and has been heated to the proper temperature (usually 212 F.)

and that the next batch of brew is to be prepared in the right hand urn vof Fig, l. The attendant will operate a selector switch 25 to the R position (if not previously so actuated) which places the right hand tank under control of the control circuit and presses a self-opening starting switch 25 of the push button type shown .in the circuit diagram, Fig. 5. The effect of the foregoingswitch operationsis automatically to cause the R valve 18 (R for right, L for left) to be opened by-energization of the respective solenoid IE, to permit the pressure in the tank to displace water therein through the pipe 5 (E) to the spray head in the B urn. As the level of the brew rises to the level of the exposed end of the electrode 23 (R), the solenoid H) (R) will be de-energized and the valve EBB will be permitted to close by spring action, thus terminating the delivery of water from the tank to the urn. The control circuit will then automatically open the intake valve 20 of the tank by effecting energization' of the solenoid 21 to permit water to iiow into the tank through pipe H which is connected to a city water line. When the water has risen in the tank to a selected level predetermined by the position of the exposed end of an electrode 2? within the tank, the control circuit will effect de-energization of the solenoid 2!, permitting the valve 29 to close.

In the usual course of events the operator will thereafter prepare the L urn for brewing a second batch of coffee by placing ground coiiee within the filter 14 of that urn. She will operate the selector switch 25 to the L position and press the starting button 26 when she wishes the brewing operation to begin. If the water in the tank is not at the proper temperature when she presses the starting button 28, a thermostatic switch or regulator 28 in the tank will be open and the control circuit will not then function to open the L valve l8. However, a visual signal in the form (5 toration .of the water level in the tank to that determined by the position of the electrodes 2% as above described.-

Figure 5 of the drawing discloses the control circuit by means of which the above described operations of the brewing apparatus are effectuated. In the circuit diagram two suppiy conductors 38,35 are'shown for supplying current to the control circuit. Conductor 3c is connected to a line relay 32 connected Wire through the starterswitch 25 to wire extending to one terminalof the-switch 25 shown for illustrative purposes as a multiple contact throw switch. Through a blade 35 of the switch the terminal can be connected electrically to the conductor 35 when the selector switch 25 blades have been moved to the upper or right (R) position. When the switch 25 is in the lower or leftlli) position a jumper wire 36 directs current to conductor ii'i thence to the blade 35 and to conductor 3i completing the circuit through the winding of the line relay 32 for energizing the same. Hence whenever the push button 25. is actuated while the selector switch. 25 is in either of its twoclosed positions. the line relay willbe energized provided the temperature of the water in the tank i2 is'sufiiciently high to have closed the thermostatic regulator switch 23. The closing of the starter switch .26 not only momentarily closes the line relay, but leads 38, 39 energizes the primary oi the trans former 40 also, lead 33 being shown as an extension from conductor Ell while wire con= nects the primary of the transformer as with the conductor 31 whereby the circuit of the transformer primary winding is completed to lead 35 through jumper 38 when the selector switch 25 is in the R position or directly through the blade 35 when the selector switch is in the L position.

Energization of the line relay 32 swings the self-opening switch arm 4| into contact with the terminal 42 and swings switch arm 43 out of contact with the contact 44 into contact with contact 45, the arm being self-actuating to the right into contact with contact it whenever the relay is de-energized. While the-closing of the circuit of the relay byv the-starter button is only momentary, the'relay is retained in closed relation if the temperature regulator switch 28 is closed. Assuming the arm 41 has been moved to the dotted line position'into contact with the contact 42 and that arm 43 has been moved into contactwith the contact 45, the circuit of the relay 32 will remain energized by reason of the closed circuit comprising conduc'tor'3ll, 3-3, v46, arm 4!, conductor 41,- relayarm '68 (then in the dotted line position) and conductors '49, 5c and 31 which, as above mentioned,-wil1'-be electrical- 1y connected to lead 3| through the switch 25 when in either of the closed positions. A relay 5| is shown of which arm 48 is a part, the relay when energized, as later described, moving the arm 48 to the dotted line position for holding the sneeze line relayiclosedi following m'omenta ry operate tion... of the;starterrswitclr. 26;

The. arm; 43f. of the line relay 3 2. when... im the? dotted line: position. effects: energization of the solenoid: R5119 or- LIB; for; opening: thereshective; valvea 128 (depending onthe closedzpositionrRzonh; of theselectort switch-125'): to permit. Water to; flowadjacent-creams; Qontactz' 1'91 is; connected by? conducton-mtatheterminalz ori'thezgridz 6]; from:

'- which extends; conductorra I; to; a ontact? of the fromithatank totthe selectcdurn; Assumin -that,

the: selector: switch; is in; the. closed: position; R; (right) ,themoyementnfithe armz ltetd thezdottedz line position; will; eff ecti: energization of: the; sole? noid; Bil-.5: The; circuit;through:. the solenoidBi may; be: traced. as; follows-:.- from; lead; 3.6 currentz flowszthroughconductor 52;, armgit,conductorsth..

54,. 55 and: 55: torv the? middle: blade: of; switch; 25% jumper: 5J2 .tdlead. 3:! A, signal. switch; 58-. (RS).

imthe; forms of. an; incandescent-lamp; will lightedi concurrently" with. the: energizationsof; the; solar noid: 31.9; through. conductors..- 59: and 69 thus; indicating; to; the operator: thatfthe: operation: of;

' the.- starter: switch 265 has: effected. the, closure: oh

theeR-J 9 solenoid: which results-'-in..thee fiowz of; war-- ter into: therright; urn. ID; In, the event. the;- selector; switch; 25; is; in; the:

position. when the: line; relay. is; closed. by the:

actuation: of. the starter; switch. 25-, the: solenoid? L I 9 will; be energizedto; admit waterfromgthe tank into-the-lef-t hand urn; ll, Thus ;fIOm OI1. ductor. 53: current, will, flow through. conductor. 63; to? the: solenoid LI.9; and through; conductor 6+. to.- a signallamp 62, to conductor Miromwhich it. flowsthrough: the. middle blade of switch. 26: through: jumper-51 to. the-lead 31.

After either. solenoid valve: RIB;- or. Ll'i j' has: been; energized to open the; respective; valve.- [1.8; for admitting water. torthee respective; urn,. the solenoid: remains; energized so. long-j as; thehold:- ing; circuit through the relay remains closed; that is,. so; long; asarm:.48 is. in. the dottediline position; This-.relay- 5|;is energizedby platescurirent. from; the electron tube: 65; shown. for; illus. trative purposes; as. of the: hot. cathode; type; and. having a heating filament; 6.6, a. control; grid 61; and plate: 6.8;.v The; filament is heated fromthesecondary-33 0f the-transformer while thet-ransr:

former secondary'B'supplies,current to. the plate.

68. The: platecircuit: includes the; winding of: the relay: 51- and. may, be traced from. one termie nal. ofJthe; secondary aS'-f0.110WS-'I conductors: 6.9;, 1-0. to; the filament terminaL, plate 6.3;. conductor; H coil. of relay '51; and conductors: 12i and 1:3: to, the; other. terminal: of; the secondary'P: The; closing of: the; relay all. occurswhenitheistarter button. 26- is" momentarily closed as above described, thus holding the line relay 32 closed following release otthe button; 26:, providedthe thermostatic switch 2.8:alsois closed; Thus water from; the tank continues to. flow into the see lected' urn but when it reaches the level. in; the

urn determined by the position of the respective electrode 23 the relay 5! will be de-energized through the action of the grid 61 of tube 65, thus permitting the line relay 32 to open by spring action and, efiecting de-energization of the respective solenoid l9' and permitting the associated valve l8 to close and stopping the flow of water int the selected urn.

The grid circuit, to which control voltage is applied by the transformer secondary G, is grounded at to a portion of the brewing apparatus and includes a bridge 15 that is balanced except when coffee brew contacts the high level electrode 23 of the respective urn.- In the diagram the secondary G is shown connected by conductors 16 and 11 to terminal 18 between selector; switch; 2:55 which when. in th R. pos tion places. the hi h; level electrode 23; of the ri -hit umint-he gridpircuit:andzwhenzinthehposition:

places: the;highllevel1 electrode 2350ftheleft. arm- I inzthe'erid; circuit. IEhe brid e.- 15; is provided with; a; gILQund 8.21 as. shown. As stated, the: bridge; normallyr'is: in; balance; with. no voltage-' applicdjto the; rid; .When however; the water orqcolree; brew'contactsthe highleyel. electrode 23 in1the respective; urn, the; resistance; of the cir-w cult: through. the; resistor 83;. is decreased by reason: or. the better conductivepath. provided by thesliquid between the electrode: and the ground, thereby unbalancingthebridge, imposing a neg'ativa R0lJB11i1ia1. II.13h6. grid and; interrupting; the: platecurrent; thus; tie-energizing the relay- 5L and". permitting; the: line; relayto open. Opening; of: the line, relay causes the. control: valve: dirt-herespective;- urni to":,.c1ose shutting" off? the: flowoff water torx'the'a um.

When. the water; to an. urn; has: been shut off, as just above described, it is desirable: that the watchintakevalve;ztsofsthewatertank-be-opened to replenish thesupplythereinzinaprep arationfor use in: the otherurn; This result. is accomplished. byv the:control:circuit' asnext described.

A second electron-tubexafii'is; provided, the-plate current from which flowsthrough conductor 86., coil. of: relay conductors: 88,, 8B; 13 to; the seconda ry'P: The other side; of thesecondary. is connected: to the; filament of they tube through: conductors; 615;: and; 9d; Hence whenever the starter: switch; is; closed to; energize the line relay 3.2; (the thermostatic: switch 28- being: closed): not. only; does the tube 65: efiect? closure of the relay 5i; butrtube; B5; efiects closure of therelayfi'i by moving the arm. 91'; thereof from. the full: line to the dottedline position. When line relay 32 isclosed, currentadoesgnot flowthroughthe arm 91- line position permitscurrentto flow from condoctor 52; througharmfit conductor 93, arm. 9!, conductor 4 h. solenoid; 2.1:; conductor 5'41 to. con.-.

' ductor 3i and thence through the. selector: switch 25 (whether in'the E or L positions) to line 3|. The" resulting energization of solenoid 24 opens thetank intake valve and permits waterto flow into the tank until it reaches the level determined by the position of the high level electrode 21 therein when by operation similar to that described above, the balanced bridge 95 becomes unbalanced, placing a negative potential on the grid of the tube 85 and interrupting or so decreasing the plate circuit of the tube as to deenergize the relay 8'! and thereby opening the circuit of the solenoid 2| and permitting the in: take valve 20 of the tank to close.

It will be seen that the control circuit described is adapted for controlling the functioning of the water valves of the tank and urns without attention by the operator other than to operate the selector switch 25 for selecting the' urn next to be used and pressing the starter button 25 when she desires the cofiee making operation to begin in the selected urn. The control circuit automatically stops the flow of water to the particular urn selected when the water rises to the level determined by the respective high level electrode and that immediately thereafter water is supplied to the tank to be heated preparatory to brewing coifee in the other urn when required.

In Fig. 3 a casing 8 3 is shown mounted at the rear of the apparatus that houses the electron tubes, relays and elements of the control system.

While I have shown the circuit in the presently preferred form in connection with a coffee hrewing apparatus comprising a water heating tank and two associated urns, it will be obvious that the control means may be used advantageously with brewing apparatus employing a heating tank and but one urn, The principles of the improvements may be of utility in relationships other than as described above andhenee I do not wish to be restricted to the specific disclosures hereof except as so limited by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Electrical control means for cofi'ee brewing apparatus comprising a pair of brewing urns, a hot water tank for heating water to be supplied. in succession to the urns, a pair of ducts each for delivering water from thetank to one of the urns, a third duct for supplying water to the tank, each oi said ducts being provided with a self-closing valve, said control means comprising electrically actuable devices for opening the valves, an electrode for each urn and for the tank located at the high level of liquid therein, and electric circuits for effecting energization of said actuable devices for the urns including a selector switch operable manually to either of two posl tions for rendering a respective device operable upon closing of a starter switch, a self-opening starter switch operable manually for effecting energization of the selected one of said devices for opening the corresponding control valve for admitting water to the corresponding urn, a hold ing circuit for retaining the circuit of said device closed until the water has reached. the level of and contacted the responsive electrode in the urn, means for automatically opening said holding circuit upon contact of water in. the urn with said electrode for permitting the respective valve to close and concurrently effecting the supplying of current to the said device for opening the valve of said tank'to permit the flow of water into the tank, and a circuit including said electrode in the tank for effecting the de-energization of said last mentioned device upon the contacting or" the water in the tank with said electrode.

2. Electrical control means for coffee brewing apparatus comprising a water heating tank, a pair of coffee brewing urns, a pair of conduits one of the urns, a conduit for supplying water to the tank to be heated, a self-closing valve for each of said conduits, said control means comprising a pair of electrically actuable devices each for opening a valve of said pair of conduits and a third electrically actuable device for opening the valve of the water supply conduit of the tank, a circuit for said devices provided'with switch means adapted to be operated manually to either of two positions'ior effecting the selection of the device of said pair of devices to be energized, a normally open line relay adapted to be closed for supplying current to the circuit of the selected device for opening the respective valve for caucing hot water to flow from the tank to the respective urn, a self-opening manually closable switch for effecting the momentary closure of said relay, a holding circuit closed by said momentary closure of said relay including a second normally open relay, and an electronic tube having plate circuit for closing said second relay upon closure of said first relay whereby said selected device remains energized during the period of closure of said first relay, an electrode for said selected urn having a portion exposed to contact with the water in the urn as the water reaches a predetermined level, a grid circuit including said electrode adapted to interrupt said plate circuit upon contact of the water with said electrode for effecting de-energization of said second relay for opening said holding circuit and de-energizing' said first relay and thereby opening the circuit of said selected device to permit the said selected valve to close, a second electronic tube energized upon closing said first relay and provided with a third normally open relay in the plate circuit thereof adapted to be closed upon energization of the tube, a circuit including said third relay and said tank valve operating device adapted to be closed upon the opening of said first relay for effecting actuation of said last mentioned device for permitting water to flow into said tank, an electrode in said tank having a portion exposed to contact with the Water in the tank as the References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Kaminky Nov. 22, 19%!) Number 

